Casa Nueva

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A step away from the whole "college bar scene". Very nice surrounding with a beer selection that can not be touched else where in Athens. Everyday there is a section of the world that is spotlighted and the beers from that area are specially priced.

The food is all organic and delicious if you're into that whole deal as I am. One of my favorite spots to sit, eat, and enjoy a great beer. What else do you need?

Casa doesn't have a huge bar and it's meant for you to grab a table and relax. Each night hosts a different atmosphere of music and people from the area. A must stop for anyone who loves to try new beers or to find that favorite eluded beer.

Reviewed on: 12-15-2003 04:44:51

Absolutely delicious fresh, locally sourced Mexican food. Great place to hit up if you're a vegan, and the tap list, while small-ish (10 taps) focuses exclusively on Ohio brewed beers (as a place with such an emphasis on locally sourced products should). They had stuff from Buckeye, Weasel Boy, Rivertown, Great Lakes, Brew Kettle and maybe a couple more. About 50 bottles, I'd guess, including out of town offerings from Southern Tier and the standard Mexican restaurant brews.

A good stop. Highly recommended.

Reviewed on: 02-25-2012 22:31:06

Stopped here for breakfast while I was down in Athens for Jackie O's bottle release. It opened at 9 am and served alcohol right away, for those who werent too sleepy still.

When you walk in the first section of this restaurant is more bar like than the rest. The bar is on the left with the taps and bottle cooler right there to greet you. The taps included Jackie O's, Weasel Boy, and Elevator. Thats a pretty darn good selection of Central Ohio stuff right there. The cooler of singles looked pretty promising too.

I didnt have any beer, I needed some breakfast. This place does breakfast pretty well. The menu, and place in general, gives off a hippie vibe. Not really any meat on the breakfast menu at all, but my dish (Rancho Nuevos) was very good. Service was pretty slow and there was an older woman who seemed very rude and was quite short with our table. It got busy right off the bat as soon as it opened. I would imagine this place is typically like this.

A good place to eat with decent beer within walking distance from Jackie O's.

Reviewed on: 09-12-2010 21:54:33

This is not a beer bar. However, it is a fantastic place to get some truly original food, and drink some incredible local ales.

The entire tap lineup at Casa features all-Ohio brews. And, what's great, is that each night of the week they feature different specials on all of their drinks. They have a bottled beer night, a beers-of-the-world night, and one for the Ohio-only brews on tap.

I have been going to Casa since I lived in Athens many years ago. Whenever I visit, this is a place I hit up multiple times. Not only for the beer, but for the incredible, local food they offer.

Casa tries their very best to keep all of their ingredients local...hence the local beers on tap. They are a cooperative, and work with many farmers and breweries around the state.

In terms of beer, they seem to always have Great Lakes, Marietta, and Jackie-O's on tap. They will also, from time to time, have other great beers from Ohio, as well. I recently visited for an Athens original, Ohio Brew Week. Casa had beers from Jackie-O's, Elevator in Columbus, Marietta Brewing (which, I believe, is now under new ownership), and a new place I'd not heard of, but made one hell of an IPA, Weasel Boy Brewing in Zanesville.

The atmosphere of Casa is one of a kind. The people who work here are locals, and they love what they do. The ones who tend bar love what they serve, and love talking about what's on tap.

Part of the beauty of Casa is that they have two sides. One is the cantina, the other the restaurant. If there is ever a wait, and at certain times of the day, especially weekend, there will be a wait, you can sit on the bar side, order a pint, and marvel at the intricate woodworking and constantly rotating selection of local artwork.

If you are ever in Athens, this is one place you need to be sure to hit up. The food is always good, and the beer is always local (and delicious). Stop by and have a Casa Burrito and a pint.

Reviewed on: 07-16-2010 04:27:32

Casa Nueva is a must-do restaurant in Athens. The place is employee owned and all of the ingredients are bought locally. We eat here a lot but there aren't a whole lot of choices.

The bar has ample seating and has a limited menu with appetizers and other quick items that you order at the bar and pick up from the window. This also where you can catch a band or have your group meeting.

They have the largest bottle selection in town that I've seen. Ask for glass if you want one. The taps are all Ohio beers and they have added a locally made wine, too. Bottles run 3-5 bucks but they have 50 cents off special each day for bottles from a specific region. They have 6 or 7 specialty vodkas and a wide variety of mixed drinks, too.

The restaurant gets busy fast and frequently has a waiting list. If you are going in at dinner time plan to have a drink or two in the bar while waiting for a table. The restaurant menu is mexican-inspired (real loosely) and offers loads of options for vegetarians and vegans alike. Everything is made in-house or produced locally and thus, will be different every time you are there. The salsas are all fantastic and unique. Definitely try whatever the seasonal salsa is up when you are there. They also offer breakfast in the morning. If you want to try vegan items this is a great place to do it. I haven't had anything bad here.

The only place where Casa really suffers is service. This applies mainly to the restaurant. You can sit for quite a long time before someone comes around to get your order and it is very hard to get a refill on your drink or get a new beer. The staff isn't very knowledgeable about the food and aren't too accommodating if you have questions. We have several times been served items we did not order or been served an item that was prepared differently than what was requested or never gotten an item we ordered. It wouldn't be so bad except the server typically doesn't realize there was an error and doesn't take steps to fix the problem when it is pointed out. You can avoid this if you just eat in the bar/cantina. Just order at the bar when you order your drinks. This is what we've done the last few times we went in and it has definitely made Casa more enjoyable.

Reviewed on: 02-10-2008 22:13:58

This co-op run place offers nothing but local microbrews on tap (Marietta Brewing (3), Columbus Brewing Company (2), GLBC (2), and Athen's own O'Hooley's (1) were represented on this occasion, which was my second trip). They offer a fair selection of micros and imports in the bottle as well, and each week night they run a different "regional" special--"Middle Europe" and "Border Beer" (Canadian and Mexican).

The Mexican inspired food is all locally produced by the co-op and is quite tasty. The bar also offers an array of infused vodkas--the garlic infusion makes a fabulous Bloody Mary. The bar features a college crowd, but not the wet t-shirt and Jager bomb set, the more mature and tasteful matriculators seem to frequent Casa.

All the beer and food is very resonably prices.

One of the best stops in Athen's.

Reviewed on: 12-18-2006 21:19:59

In a college town that is very, shall we say, "youth" oriented, Casa is a really nice find for the lover of quality beers. Good choices of Ohio micros (especially Columbus Brewing Co.) & a couple great regioinals as well (New Holland & Bell's).

The bar itself really is supposed to serve as a waiting area for the dining portion of the establishment, but it's nice enough (especially after their remodel) to just set up camp there.

I've always had friendly & compotent service on each of my visits & you really can't beat the food in this place. The other attractive thing for me is that, as a Chicagoan, I'm used to paying MUCH more for these beers in my local bars.

Every trip I've made to Athens has included a stop at Casa & for good reason.

Reviewed on: 09-21-2006 18:27:01

Casa Nueva is a good place to go get a quality beer on any night of the week.
The selection is great. All draft beer is from Ohio microbreweries. Some of the beers on draft include: Marietta Raspberry Wheat, Marietta IPA, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, Columbus Nut Brown Ale, Columbus Pale Ale. The selection of bottled beer is great too. Some of the notable bottled beers are Lindemans Lambic Framboise, Dogfish Head Chicory Stout, and New River Pale Ale. Service is pretty good here also. You never have to wait too long at the bar and your drink is always filled to the top and you can even sample the draft beers (very nice). The food here is good too. A wide selection of food with many unique items you wouldn't find anywhere.
Prices for the most part are reasonable. $3 is typical price for a draft pint. The only negative is the bar sometimes has cover charges on the weekend. Overall, however, Casa Nueva is an excellent place to get a good drink and get away from the typical "college bars" in Athens.

Reviewed on: 04-10-2006 04:34:37